Category Archives: So We May Yet Live

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1: 3-9 (NKJV)

Share this:

Like this:

The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”

Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”’” Ezekiel 37: 1-6 (NKJV)

Lord God, cause me to come face to face with the God I know and breathe Your life into these dry bones. . .

Share this:

Like this:

He is despised and rejected by men,A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.Surely He has borne our griefsAnd carried our sorrows;Yet we esteemed Him stricken,Smitten by God, and afflicted.But He was wounded for our transgressions,He was bruised for our iniquities;The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,And by His stripes we are healed.All we like sheep have gone astray;We have turned, every one, to his own way;And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53: 3-6 (NKJV)

Share this:

Like this:

“As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and complete narcissistic moron.” —-H.L. Mencken, The Baltimore Evening Sun, July 26, 1920

I have to admit I am sorely tired of the current political scene and the drama which unfolds in the run-up to this (and every) presidential election. Most of the time I just want to vote for “None of the above.”

We have lost our mooring, both as a people and as a nation. I remind myself though, no matter who is elected President, Jesus Christ is still King.

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”Hebrews 12:2

The above quote was posted on Facebook by one of my friends. And this was said almost 100 years ago! In a democracy, no matter who is elected to the office of the President, he (or she) is a reflection of the inner soul of that nation.

May God have mercy on us all. . .

Why do the nations rage,And the people plot a vain thing?The kings of the earth set themselves,And the rulers take counsel together,Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,“Let us break Their bonds in piecesAnd cast away Their cords from us.”He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;The Lord shall hold them in derision.Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,And distress them in His deep displeasure:“Yet I have set My KingOn My holy hill of Zion.”

Share this:

Like this:

It’s about the condition of man’s heart–always has been, always will be. We want a quick external fix, but what ails us won’t be fixed that easily. We need the power of the Living God to resonate in our hearts. When we encounter His presence, our lives change–dramatically. And that’s as it should be. . .

What we want is laws passed. What we want is people elected who see things our way, who do things our way, who make everybody else do things our way. What we want is behaviors to change. We don’t necessarily want hearts changed. If hearts are changed then that would be okay with us but it’s not the main thing. We want behaviors changed. We want to make them change their behavior.

We’ve got it wrong.

It seems to me that our priority should be the spiritual condition of those who oppose us. It’s not behavior that’s the issue. It’s heart condition that matters.

I’ve been in Church services where the presence and power us God was so real it forced me to my knees. This morning I sat on my porch praying and I knew His presence so real that I was compelled to change, to stop doing one…

Share this:

Like this:

This parable gives a good picture of 1 Corinthians 12. Both fellowship and ministries are divided because believers have a wrong estimate of their gifts and place in the body of Christ. Many people think that only they have the whole truth, when all they have is a fragment. The following parable is worthy of your time.

Button, Button, Who’s Got The Button?

A solemn assembly was called. Apostles and prophets gathered to sit in conference with one another. Chairs were circled, so no one man would sit at the head. As each man took his seat, an unusual silence filled the room. The men sat staring at one another, almost forgetting the reason they had assembled, not one man wanting to speak. Out of the unusual silence a Voice spoke and asked, “Button, button, who has the button?” As if well-rehearsed, the men jumped to their feet and shouted in chorus, “I’ve got the Button! I’ve got the Button!” Each man raised his arms in the air with closed hands to show the Voice, and then one another, that they indeed were holding the button. Their voices roared, as if trying to drown out one another, shouting with great apostolic and prophetic confidence. “Yes, I’ve got the Button! I’ve got the Button!”

Their voices were hoarse from shouting, the roar subsided, and all responses stopped. And again the unusual silence filled the room, each man still standing with arm raised and hand closed. Slowly, their arms began to drop and each man opened his hand and stared into his palm. The Button was not found in any one hand. But, there was something in each man’s hand… a small piece of the Button. Every man standing in the room was holding a button fragment. Not all of the fragments were the same size or shape. Some were larger, some smaller, some were round and smooth, some oblong and jagged, but each man held some part of the Button.

Again the Voice broke the unusual silence and asked, “Button, button, who has the Button?” This time there was no quick answer. The men stood silent, no longer examining their own button fragment or the fragment of their neighbor. With their heads lowered, arms hanging limp at their sides, all boasting stopped. They stood dumfounded in the unusual silence. Finally, one man confessed in a broken voice, “I don’t have the Button…” And another whispered, “I don’t have the Button…” And another, with a deep sigh, “I don’t have the Button…” This time the response was personal, quiet, and remorseful, as every man admitted to himself, to the Voice, and to his peers, “I don’t have the Button.”

Once again, the unusual silence filled the room. Moments passed into eternity. And again the Voice broke the unusual silence. “I gave you bits and pieces, but you assumed you possessed the Whole. I sought to increase and shape those pieces, but you refused to open your hand. I desired to enlarge your fragments and mold them with other fragments, but you refused to let go. My gift you made into your possession. My generosity you turned into exclusiveness. My revelation has become your prejudice. You speak of unity, yet build invisible barriers between yourselves with your boasting, “I’ve got the Button.” As you see, all you really have is a fragment. And you are protecting, exalting, and defending your fragment as if it were the Whole. My sons, you have not yet seen the Whole!”

No longer were men standing; they were on their faces. The Button fragments had slipped from their hands and lay scattered around the floor. Their hands were empty. Their self-confident hearts were broken and their proud spirits softened. For the third time the Voice asked, “Button, button, who has the Button?” Through tears of contrition came the gentle reply, “Lord, You have the Button!”

Share this:

Like this:

We’ve been “expecting” for six months now, a euphemism which I find doesn’t quite catch the truth of it.

Early in the pregnancy, if I’m honest, my expectations were different — my husband and I both acknowledge, now, that we didn’t expect to make it this far; we expected — for a myriad of reasons — to lose the baby.

A lot could happen in the next three months, and I cannot presume to know, but now I expect that in late August I’ll be holding a wiggling, crying little boy.

Even so, to say we’re “expecting a baby” is a misnomer. We don’t expect him. We have him — something like two pounds of him, every inch a baby right now. A baby whose kicks and tumbles we treasure. A baby to whom we already talk and sing. He isn’t born yet, but he’s not merely expected. He exists.